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25th out of 803 books
—
2,544 voters
Plague of the Dead (Morningstar Strain #1)
by
Z.A. Recht,
Bowie V. Ibarra (Goodreads Author)
The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. Death. But it doesn't end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth. When a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living...more
Paperback, 292 pages
Published
December 1st 2006
by Permuted Press
(first published 2006)
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I gave this book 7/10 on my blog: Book Chick City, but Goodreads still doesn't offer half stars! Grrrrr
Plague of the Dead is such a fun book - if you can call the downfall of mankind fun, which I can as it's just fiction... This book has all the elements I love in zombie fiction; lots of zombies, great characters and an absorbing storyline.
The writing is very smooth - nice and easy to read, great description and imagination. Recht also uses both types of zombie: the fast '28 Days Later' kind, a...more
Plague of the Dead is such a fun book - if you can call the downfall of mankind fun, which I can as it's just fiction... This book has all the elements I love in zombie fiction; lots of zombies, great characters and an absorbing storyline.
The writing is very smooth - nice and easy to read, great description and imagination. Recht also uses both types of zombie: the fast '28 Days Later' kind, a...more
I had a discussion with my wife about what constitutes a zombie story. Plague of the Dead seems to be more of a virus story. The strain hits, turns people into mindless, seemingly soulless, infected "carriers", but for all intents and purposes, they are still alive. However, when the "carriers" are killed, they turn into the living dead because they rise and continue on in the attempt to get some food, namely you and me. So I would venture a change of the genre to something like infection novels...more
Nov 21, 2008
Michael
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Zombie Lovers
Shelves:
zombie-stuff,
2007
Lt. Colonel Anna Demilio of the USAMRIID knows the danger of this new bug dubed the Morningstar Virus.The goverment plays down the advances of the virus in africa despite Demilio's warnings. The story follows the US soldiers (and civies) from Africa to the the USA all the while running from the Morningstar Strain.
The public was not properly notified due to the efforts of the government to hush it up. By time the characters reach the US, it is clear that the virus has hold. This virus infects t...more
Mar 21, 2013
Dawn Peers
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
amazon-reviewed,
zombies
I've just finished listening to this audio book - downloaded from Audible, where I get all of my audio books from these days.
After listening to the audio, buying this book was a dead cert.
Plague of the Dead was, for me, a brilliant page-turner read. I normally read fantasy or classic literature, so to listen to an apocalyptic book was quite out of the park copmared to my normal fare.
The build-up of tension at the start of the book, in an exchange of emails relating to the spread of the virus, is...more
After listening to the audio, buying this book was a dead cert.
Plague of the Dead was, for me, a brilliant page-turner read. I normally read fantasy or classic literature, so to listen to an apocalyptic book was quite out of the park copmared to my normal fare.
The build-up of tension at the start of the book, in an exchange of emails relating to the spread of the virus, is...more
Not finished with this, but am impatient to write a review about it. This can mean only two things - either it was horrid, or it was so, so good. I'm glad to be the bearer of good news today!
Rot and Ruin was my first zombie novel, followed by Warm Bodies, and Zombies and Shit. I think I have been relatively fortunate with the genre/subject so far. The point of view of these have all been extremely unique, with very different themes. Of course the main theme to survive takes center stage, but whe...more
Rot and Ruin was my first zombie novel, followed by Warm Bodies, and Zombies and Shit. I think I have been relatively fortunate with the genre/subject so far. The point of view of these have all been extremely unique, with very different themes. Of course the main theme to survive takes center stage, but whe...more
Woohoo! Finally got a new computer so I can start reviewing books again. And why not start out with a zombie book?
OK, so here's the thing about the zombie apocalypse: I have pretty much decided I am a goner when it happens. I can't shoot a gun, or a bow. I can't change a tire, especially if there were a group of the undead approaching. I don't have more than a few cans of soup and some bottles stored in my basement. (Yowza! I could get by for a week at least!) Heck, I couldn't even survive the R...more
OK, so here's the thing about the zombie apocalypse: I have pretty much decided I am a goner when it happens. I can't shoot a gun, or a bow. I can't change a tire, especially if there were a group of the undead approaching. I don't have more than a few cans of soup and some bottles stored in my basement. (Yowza! I could get by for a week at least!) Heck, I couldn't even survive the R...more
Thanks to the blue sky I have finished this piece of junk!!! I am so sorry, I just could not like this story as much as I tried; this zombie story fall flat!!! Why are there so many good reviews on this book?
I mean here is the main reason:
1. The characters know that a bite, blood, fluid or scratch would get them infected-but no one thinks to put on leather, extra layers or anything to protect their skin!!! So, they were basically saying- "Look at me zombie; I am a walking fried chicken leg."
2....more
I mean here is the main reason:
1. The characters know that a bite, blood, fluid or scratch would get them infected-but no one thinks to put on leather, extra layers or anything to protect their skin!!! So, they were basically saying- "Look at me zombie; I am a walking fried chicken leg."
2....more
2 likes · like · see review
After the outbreak of "The Morningstar Strain", a disease that, once infected, turns humans into ravenously uncontrollable beings with animal like characteristics and a taste for human flesh, the people of planet earth must learn how to survive, and avoid the virus at all costs. Within weeks, the virus spreads across the entire planet and the few survivors must seek refuge and safety. This book definitely expresses the idea that if you think you are safe, think again! With zombies trying to att...more
I am more interested in character development than I am in raw visceral appeal that is related to the horror in horror novels. Give me some folks to root for and I will read with baited breath every last bit of their stories. Sad when they died, thrilled when they live. Don't get me wrong, the raw fear and emotions, the violence and excitement of a zombie tale are what makes them appealing. It is just that without the first element listed above, the story is nothing more than just a gory bloodba...more
Z. A. Recht, The Morningstar Strain: Plague of the Dead (Permuted Press, 2006)
The late Zachary Recht died in December of 2009 at the age of twenty-six, leaving behind roughly half of the final book in the Morningstar Strain trilogy. Word on the street is that it will eventually be fleshed out by another author and released by Permuted, with the blessings of Recht's family. Good news indeed, as the Morningstar Strain books are quite a surprise, if you're not familiar with Permuted stuff. A number...more
The late Zachary Recht died in December of 2009 at the age of twenty-six, leaving behind roughly half of the final book in the Morningstar Strain trilogy. Word on the street is that it will eventually be fleshed out by another author and released by Permuted, with the blessings of Recht's family. Good news indeed, as the Morningstar Strain books are quite a surprise, if you're not familiar with Permuted stuff. A number...more
Z A Recht must love zombie movies. How could he not? (i'm assuming Z is a he) Plague of the Dead reads like a text version of a movie. Telling, rather than showing. The book takes an almost clinical, documenting-camera view on the proceedings which holds all of the characters and the action at arm's length.
I really enjoyed the story, but I found the POV a bit distracting. Every once in a while we hop into a character's head for a paragraph or so to see what they see, but don't really get a good...more
I really enjoyed the story, but I found the POV a bit distracting. Every once in a while we hop into a character's head for a paragraph or so to see what they see, but don't really get a good...more
_Plague of the Dead_ is, put simply, a zombie outbreak novel similar in many ways to Max Brooks' spectacular _World War Z_. (WWZ is told in a series of interviews while _Plague_ follows a traditional narrative format, but the manner in which the plague spreads and the military's fruitless efforts to contain it are similar.)
_Plague_ has some strong characters and some pretty awesome moments. You got to love a book where a soldier, already bitten and therefore terminal, hangs on to his grenade unt...more
_Plague_ has some strong characters and some pretty awesome moments. You got to love a book where a soldier, already bitten and therefore terminal, hangs on to his grenade unt...more
OK ... so, it was a nice try. The explanation for why there are fast AND slow zombies was GREAT. But unfortunately, not a whole lot else has great merit. The characters are all cookie-cutter. Every "military" character is the same as the next - and they use A LOT of cheesy jargon like "FUBAR" and "SNAFU" constantly.. making it seem like the author did military research by watching too many movies. Also - some of the pop-culture references seem very out of place such as "it looked like somewhere...more
2 likes · like · see review
I couldn't tell you much about the content of the book as I had to abandon it after the first chapter for fear the stilted, amateurish writing would make me continue to roll my eyes until they stuck like that.
I had a particularly hard time getting past the supposed emails between senior military/government people. I AM a senior government officer, and I promise you, nobody communicates like that. It's like someone asked an eight year old to write up what they imagine GI Joe's emails look like. U...more
I had a particularly hard time getting past the supposed emails between senior military/government people. I AM a senior government officer, and I promise you, nobody communicates like that. It's like someone asked an eight year old to write up what they imagine GI Joe's emails look like. U...more
I just finished reading this book and I must say I'm not disappointed. "Plague of the Dead" is a must-read page turner for those who love the horror/zombie genre like myself.
The story focuses on two groups of survivors: one group consists of military and civilians, the other a military scientist who knows basically everything about the Morningstar Strain, a journalist/anchor woman from Washington DC, and a government agent. Z.A. Recht did an excellent job of explaining the characters and I foun...more
The story focuses on two groups of survivors: one group consists of military and civilians, the other a military scientist who knows basically everything about the Morningstar Strain, a journalist/anchor woman from Washington DC, and a government agent. Z.A. Recht did an excellent job of explaining the characters and I foun...more
I wanted to like this book, but was never able to really like all of it. Between a ton of really obnoxious characters, a general lack of knowledge about the military, and horrible dialogue there is a lot that makes this a below average novel. It starts strong, but the middle is a chore to get through.
The characters keep making clueless and stupid choices. No one thinks about saving ammo, or to take heavy equipment with them. They also run around acting like B-grade action movie characters. At on...more
The characters keep making clueless and stupid choices. No one thinks about saving ammo, or to take heavy equipment with them. They also run around acting like B-grade action movie characters. At on...more
This book is about a zombie infection that starts to spread from Africa. It is the first book in a triology. Basically, it follows three different groups of people who try to survive together. It shows the start of the end of the world. I gave this book 4 stars because it is a very suspenseful. It also has plenty of action scenes. The story itself is truely different than any other book.
"We think he didn't want us to get infected,sir. We think it's a kamikaze run,over."(Recht 277)
In this part...more
"We think he didn't want us to get infected,sir. We think it's a kamikaze run,over."(Recht 277)
In this part...more
I am a stone cold sucker for zombie stories. I don't care if they're the old school Romero shufflers or the new breed of 28 Days Later style runners, give me a story about the world being overrun by undead flesh eaters, and it makes me happy. This probably says something very disturbing about me.
This is pretty standard stuff. A virus code named Morningstar breaks out in Africa and *gasp* brings the dead back to life with a taste for the living. Efforts at containment fail and soon the entire pla...more
This is pretty standard stuff. A virus code named Morningstar breaks out in Africa and *gasp* brings the dead back to life with a taste for the living. Efforts at containment fail and soon the entire pla...more
What I love, LOVE about this book is the way the infection spreads. If you are bitten, the zombie virus will make you a relentless, hungry killing machine. Fast and absolutely enraged. The fever boils you brain dead. But you are alive. If you die from anything other than a head wound (starvation, thirst) or succumb to the bite of the original infection you simply die.... and then rise again as a traditional zombie. Slow from rigor mortis, but no less relentless.
Fair warning: This is a very grue...more
Fair warning: This is a very grue...more
I really don't want to give this book any lower than a two, for I know the author did a decent job at trying to put it together. Unfortunately, I could not finish it, for it has not been completed nor edited correctly.
I know a little bit about the military, and I will say a bit more research is needed before this book could be considered complete. Problems with writing are also evident in a manuscript with a good plot as well as well thought out explanations, but many writing errors abound.
Z. A....more
I know a little bit about the military, and I will say a bit more research is needed before this book could be considered complete. Problems with writing are also evident in a manuscript with a good plot as well as well thought out explanations, but many writing errors abound.
Z. A....more
This is my first review I've written (or am going to write) for this site, mainly because it's the book I've finished most recently. Hopefully this won't be painful. First off, this book is an easy read; clocking in at only 292 pages (paperback) most people can cruise right through this one. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's a fun book that keeps the pace steady throughout. The only thing I really have to complain about is the characters; the a very shallow and have very little b...more
I usually don't like books that are extremely military in nature so maybe that's why it took me so long to finish this book. That being said, this was by far one of the greatest books I read in 2012. I loved the change in perspective it would do in this book! The story is told from three different perspectives at first and then it goes down to two. It start's with the military then it shifts to Ana's and tells the story through e-mails, and then it shifts to Julia's. at some point it boils down...more
I'm hesitant to write a review for this book. I loved the book, but I'm loathe to trip through a review. My reviews tend to either read like book reports (which no one wants to read) or off target rambling (which no one should read). Despite that, I had to drop a few lines of praise into my 5 star review here.
This book is incredible. It's hard to do something new in the zombie apocalypse genre, and this book isn't anything vastly different from what's out there already. However, I do love the wa...more
This book is incredible. It's hard to do something new in the zombie apocalypse genre, and this book isn't anything vastly different from what's out there already. However, I do love the wa...more
OK, I got this by accident, thinking it was part of the Strain Trilogy. My first thought: wait, I'd steeled myself for a vampire story, but this is about zombies... OK, zombies, vampires, whatever. Immediately bowled over by terrible writing, I stuck with it, thinking who needs good writing if the story is entertaining? I read a good chunk of the book before it's pat plot, flat characters and boring dialogue made me give up. So actually, I didnt make it through the book. Maybe it gets better, I'...more
Awesome book. One of my favorite parts about it was that there wasn't a whole lot of gore and focus on the "distasteful" themes of zombies. While those things are definitely important, I think the impact of the book was the fact that Recht focused much more on the human aspects of such an outbreak. He spent much more time developing the governmental ineptitude and cover up angle and I think accurately portrayed what it would be like for average people to live through something like this. Everyth...more
This is an extremely exciting, action-filled zombie book! Good character development makes and keeps readers emotionally engaged with the people on the pages. I just pre-ordered book 2 of Morningstar from Permuted Press. Can't wait to read it!
1 like · like · see review
I listened to this book narrated by Oliver Wyman, one of my absolute favorite Audible narrators. Partway through the book, I felt that something was off... it wasn't clicking. Then I realized that it was because a fantastic narrator was narrating a sub-par book.
The story was passable for the most part. There was nothing particularly stand-outish about the book. What was "off" was the dialogue. It was terribly written, to the point where I actually backed the audio up a few times just to make sur...more
The story was passable for the most part. There was nothing particularly stand-outish about the book. What was "off" was the dialogue. It was terribly written, to the point where I actually backed the audio up a few times just to make sur...more
I give the author credit for a few things, such as focussing on the emergence and large scale combat (rather than the standard 'the whole world is already dead but my characters') and trying to explain the medical causes of the plague. It's a zombie story---I really wasn't expecting much---but I abandoned this after only a few chapters. The characters and dialogue---my God, the dialogue!---go right through hackneyed and out into some sort of meta-cliche. Everyone is a caricature with the most tr...more
The beginning of this book seemed so familiar to me that I actually started to question if I had read it before. I found the story to be fairly derivative. The book wasn't horrible by any means, but I feel like I've read other zombie and "end of the world" books with similar plots and storytelling features. There wasn't anything to me that made this book stand out above others of the genre. I bought the audiobook version off of Audible as part of a "first in the series" sale promotion to convinc...more
I chose to read this book because I like the main idea. Also my dad started reading the third book and said it was a very good series and I decided to read it.
In my book there are multiple protaganists because they jump from charecter to charecter. But they are called the survivors. the survivors are the people who survived the plauge of the dead at first and are still alive they contribute to the book by allowing the human race hope to find a cure for the virus that caused the dead to rise. The...more
In my book there are multiple protaganists because they jump from charecter to charecter. But they are called the survivors. the survivors are the people who survived the plauge of the dead at first and are still alive they contribute to the book by allowing the human race hope to find a cure for the virus that caused the dead to rise. The...more
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Mar 30, 2009 11:43am